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www.contactnorth.ca A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR August 04, 2020
Major Changes in the Way We Teach Post-Secondary Students
What is clear is major changes, in the way we teach post-secondary
students, are triggered by the sudden immersion of many into online
learning as a result of COVID-19 and the new technologies that increase
flexibility in, and access to, post-secondary education. Indeed, we can
already see institutions exploring the implications of these developments
for program and course delivery beyond the pandemic.
In looking at what is being learned and the implications for students,
faculty, staff, and institutions, we highlight:
• Several key developments in online learning and how they impact our
understanding of pedagogy;
• More than 100 examples of applications of these developments in
innovations in colleges and universities in Ontario, across Canada, and
internationally, selected from Contact North | Contact Nord’s Pockets
of Innovations Series on teachonline.ca; and
• Seven questions for you to consider about the implications of changes
in pedagogy and student learning.
This consideration of how technology is changing the way we teach and
learn, leading to the emergence of a new pedagogy, continues to be the
most popular feature on teachonline.ca since its posting in 2012, drawing
in an average of 100 new and returning readers every week. This revised
and updated 2020 version is intended to offer new angles and resources
to readers and inspire new approaches.
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
We also developed two other resources to support the exploration of the
emerging pedagogy, including: a webinar series featuring experts from
around the world and an “Ask An Expert” resource where readers pose
questions about teaching and learning and Contact North | Contact Nord
research associates provide responses.
As the literature documenting examples of success in online learning
during the pandemic emerges, new contributions will appear on
teachonline.ca.
But before we explore the specifics, it is helpful to understand context. The
current and sudden exposure of so many to online teaching as a result of
the pandemic accelerated developments already occurring.
SEVEN KEY DEVELOPMENTS TRIGGERING THIS NEW PEDAGOGY
Changes in society, student expectations, and technology were already
motivating university and college faculty and instructors to rethink
pedagogy and teaching methods before the pandemic. Canada has
thousands of online courses and programs – there are 20,000 online
college and university courses for credit in Ontario alone. Their number
has been steadily growing since 1994, when the first fully online graduate
degree programs were launched in Canada. Now online programs and
courses are seen as strategic investments by colleges and universities
eager to increase access and flexible learning routes for their programs
and students. Of all colleges, universities, polytechnics and CEGEP’s in
2Canada, by far the greatest majority offer courses and programs online
with others offering a mix of online and on-campus programs.
New Demands of a Knowledge-Based Society
There are a number of separate factors at work in the knowledge-based
society. The first is the continuing development of new knowledge, making
it difficult to compress all students need to know within the limited
time span of a post-secondary program or course. This means helping
students to manage knowledge - how to find, analyze, evaluate, and apply
knowledge as it constantly shifts and grows.
To put this is context, between 2003 and 2016 the number of academic
papers published world-wide doubled and have doubled again between
2016 and 2020. There are now over 1.8 million scientific papers
published annually in over 28,000 journals. India alone published over
136,000 science and engineering papers in 2018 and the rate of Indian
publications is growing at close to 11% per annum.
The second factor is the increased emphasis on applying knowledge to
meet the demands of 21st century society, using skills such as critical
thinking, independent learning, the use of relevant information technology,
software, and data within a discipline, and entrepreneurialism. The
development of such skills requires active learning in rich and complex
environments, with plenty of opportunities to develop, apply, assess and
practice such skills.
Thirdly, it means educating students with the skills to manage their own
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
learning throughout life, so they can continue to learn after graduation.
Life-long learning, especially given expectations about rapid developments
impacting the future of work, is now an imperative of governments around
the world committing to developing a skilled workforce. With the pandemic
likely to induce a global recession, demonstrable and certifiable skills will
become key to securing and retaining work.
As governments shift their funding models to outcome-based funding,
giving emphasis to the connection between learning and employment,
the “global competencies” needed for work and sustainable development
coupled with the skills related to specific employment opportunities are
being given new emphasis.
New Student Expectations
Student demographics have been changing for some considerable
time – more mature students, more students combining work and
study, more students looking for flexible learning options. While school
leavers are still an important segment of the college and university
student body, they no longer are the dominant drivers of the strategies
pursued by the institutions which look to broader markets, especially
international markets.
Even the most idealistic students expect to find good jobs after several
years of study, jobs where they can apply their learning and earn a
reasonable income. This is especially true as tuition and other educational
costs increase. Students expect to be actively engaged in and see the
3relevance of their learning to the real world. Indeed, about 60% of all
undergraduate students in Canada are enrolled in one of four fields of
study: social and behavioural sciences and legal studies (but not law),
business, management and public administration; physical and life
sciences and technology; and the humanities. Almost all college students
are studying work-related programs.
Today’s students grew up in a world where technology is a natural part of
their environment. Their expectation is that technology is used whenever
appropriate to help them learn, develop essential informational and
technological literacy skills, and master the fluency necessary in their
specific subject domain. This is one reason blended learning has grown
in use across schools, colleges and universities and why some are now
exploring a “flipped classroom” approach to learning.
Blended and online learning are a feature of most strategic plans for
colleges, universities and polytechnics. The plans have been given a new
emphasis as the pandemic forced online learning everywhere.
New Technologies
Continuing advances in digital technologies, social media, and mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets, give the end user, the student,
much more control over access to and the creation and sharing of
knowledge. This empowers students, and faculty and instructors are
finding ways to leverage this enhanced student control to increase their
motivation and engagement. More recently, developments in artificial
intelligence for teaching and learning, virtual and augmented reality and
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
simulations and serious games have further emphasized the importance
of technology enabled learning
Fast Changing World of Work
As the nature of work changes – more project-based work, flattened
organizational structures, new human:technology relationships, more
global networks and supply chains – then the need for skills development
and learning “on the job” become clear. Given the expectation that these
developments will each accelerate and impact between 30-40% of all jobs,
then constant learning becomes a driver for anytime, anywhere learning.
Now that the pandemic has disrupted the global economy – the IMF
predicts a 5% fall in global GDP with some industries disrupted for
many years to come (e.g. hospitality and tourism, travel, banking and
financial services, retail) and high unemployment for some time to come
– upskilling and reskilling will become a strong focus for government
investment in higher education. Already, micro-credentials are being seen
as a response to this challenge.
Work will change significantly over the coming decade. Recent
innovations and developments in flexible, competency based learning
and assessment will give new impetus to online learning and work-related
skill development.
4SEVEN KEY ELEMENTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THIS NEW PEDAGOGY
As faculty and instructors become more familiar with digital technologies
for teaching and learning, pedagogical responses and strategies are
emerging. The seven developments listed below impacted on how teaching
is structured and how and where learning happens.
1. Blended Learning
Until recently, there was a clear dichotomy between classroom-
based teaching, often supplemented by technologies, a learning
management system, and digital resources, and fully online teaching,
in which an entire course is provided online.
Now there is a much closer integration of classroom and online
teaching under the generic term of blended or hybrid learning, where
classroom time is reduced but not eliminated, with substantial time
being used for online learning.
In the ‘flipped’ classroom, the instructor may record a lecture and/or
provide access to videos, readings, open education resources, quizzes,
and other resources which students work through prior to coming to
class. Classroom time is spent on interaction among students and
with the instructor, whether through discussion, problem-solving, case
studies, practical exercises, or lab work. Materials are often designed
to be used after class for review and assignments.
Successful blended teaching and learning require a focus on what may
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
best be done on campus, such as face-to-face interaction between
students and instructors, and what may best be done online, such
as providing flexibility and wide access to resources and experts.
This requires a re-thinking of teaching and learning practice, as well
as classroom layouts, as more interaction takes place, involving
the students, instructors, and outside experts who participate in-
person or virtually. Teaching models for both classroom and online
delivery must be reconsidered and recalibrated in response to new
technological capacities.
2. Collaborative Approaches To The Construction Of Knowledge/
Building Communities Of Inquiry And Practice
From the early days of online learning, there was an emphasis on
enabling students to construct knowledge through questioning,
discussion, sharing of perspectives and sources, analysis of resources
from multiple sources, and instructor feedback. Social media
encouraged the development of communities of practice, where
students share experiences, discuss theories and challenges, and
learn from each other. The professor is no longer responsible for
delivering all of the knowledge or even providing all of the sources
for learning – but maintains a critical role as guide, facilitator, and
assessor of the learning.
Some instructors encourage contributions and reflections from the
wider public, to accompany formal courses that are ‘private’ to enrolled
5students, thus opening up courses to external expertise, and providing
students with important contacts and networks outside the institution.
Most instructors have not experienced learning, much less teaching, in
such collaborative environments, especially when facilitated through
technology. It requires a re-consideration of roles, authority, and how
learning is achieved and measured.
Most recently, a model of how this constructivist approach to teaching
and learning can occur has been developed which gives emphasis
to the idea that the “class” is a community engaged in a serious
inquiry into a body of knowledge, guided by the teacher. Known as the
community of inquiry model, it has garnered a lot of attention and is
now an embedded idea in instructional design. It is built on a simple
principle: the more engaged learners are with their learning, the more
likely they are to be successful.
3. Use Of Multimedia And Open Educational Resources (OER)
Digital media, YouTube videos such as TED talks or the Khan
Academy and, increasingly, open educational resources in the
form of short lectures, animations, simulations, virtual labs, virtual
worlds and many other formats enable instructors and students to
access and apply knowledge in a wide variety of ways. There are
now many thousands of examples of stand-alone, open educational
resources that can be downloaded free for educational use. Examples
include MIT’s OpenCourseWare, the OER Commons and the UK Open
University’s OpenLearn.
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
OER can be provided as core course content, or specifically targeted
to helping students who struggle to keep up or have not fully mastered
key concepts or techniques. OER also appeal to an increasingly large
group of students, inside and outside post-secondary education, who
are interested in a topic, but don’t want to enrol in a formal program or
course. Since we began capturing innovative developments a decade
ago, OER has become a major resource for rapid course development
and for lowering the costs of learning for many students.
Even text books are changing to incorporate video and audio clips,
animations and rich graphics, as well as becoming more interactive,
allowing both instructors and students to annotate, add or change
material including assessment exercises and feedback. e-Texts are
developed to take advantage of open source material as a way of
reducing student expenditure on books and facilitating updating of
content. These electronic texts are, of course, accessible via mobile
smartphones, tablets, e-readers and other mobile devices.
Using multimedia for education is not new, but, with the Internet, the
selection and integration of appropriate sources – by both instructors
and students – raises questions of quality, timely and appropriate
usage, multiple points of view, and packaging of a wide range of
resources within the framework of course-specific learning objectives
and assessment practices. Balancing the use of multimedia and open
6educational resources with instructor-delivered content raises issues
of course ownership and measurable learning outcomes.
4. Increased Student Control, Choice, And Independence
Students can now access a variety of content, free of charge, from
multiple sources via the Internet. They can choose alternative
interpretations, areas of interest, and even sources of accreditation.
Students have tools, such as smartphones and video cameras, to
collect digital examples and data can be edited and used in student
work. Thus, strictly managing a set curriculum in terms of limited
content chosen by the instructor becomes less meaningful. The
emphasis shifts to deciding what is important or relevant within a
subject domain.
Students within any single ‘class’ are likely to have multiple needs.
Within the framework of the learning objectives, more flexible
approaches to content choice, delivery, assessment, and other
factors are emerging. Equally important is educating students to take
responsibility for their own learning and approach this as a skill to be
taught and learned.
This approach challenges the instructor to move away from selecting
and transmitting information in large blocks or chunks, such as a
one-hour lecture, or providing a single textbook, to guiding students to
find, analyze, evaluate, and apply information relevant to a particular
subject domain. This ‘relevance’ becomes more negotiated between
instructor and student. Indeed, the term ‘instructor’ becomes
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
misleading in this context, as the role moves more to that of facilitator
with less control over where and how learning takes place, and often
entering into negotiation over exactly what the content is.
5. Anywhere, Anytime, Any Size Learning
The development of ‘any size’ learning is seen in the creation of
smaller modules, such as those offered through the ‘Learn on
Demand’ program at the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System, that can be built or aggregated into certificates, diplomas or
even full degrees, and which can also be used as stand-alone, free,
open resources. These smaller modules fit the needs of many full-time
students who are working part-time, as well as those needing greater
flexibility or additional help with their learning.
There is growing demand from students for short, ‘just in time’
learning modules that fit an immediate learning need. The creation
and aggregation of these modules for credit requires reconsideration
of course structure and the crediting of learning that is not equivalent
to a full course completion. In the evolving world of open access to
learning, students who successfully complete such modules may be
awarded ‘badges’ or microcredentials, with the possibility of credit
transferred at a later time into a more formal program. For example,
a continuing education microcredit may be transferred as an elective
course into a graduate degree. Now that governments in Canada and
Singapore, for example, have introduced training and learning tax
7credits, such short courses (especially if they can be “stacked” to form
a certificate or diploma) will become a growing feature of education
beyond school.
Mobile learning, with smartphones, tablets and other devices, is
the basis of the anywhere, anytime learning provided through online
learning. Offering content, quizzes, multimedia resources, and
connections among students using mobile devices requires a new look
at course design, content packaging, and a consideration of limitations
of data packages. How to best integrate mobile devices into course
delivery and assessment is a field of continuing exploration.
6. New Forms Of Assessment
Digital learning can leave a permanent ‘trace’ in the form of student
contributions to online discussion and e-portfolios of work through the
collection, storing and assessment of a student’s multimedia online
activities. Peer assessment involves students in the review of each
other’s work, providing useful feedback that may be used in revision of
documents and a better understanding of issues.
Learning analytics facilitate tracking of learning demonstrated
through student digital activities easier and more scalable. Such
analytical feedback to students can be continuous throughout a
course, resulting in early diagnostics that enable students to focus
on areas of weakness before a final assessment. Instructors can
also use analytics to assess the quality and usefulness of course
resources and track student participation, providing opportunities for
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
intervention if necessary. Work in artificial intelligence looks at guiding
students through programs of learning with resources and at a pace
that matches their needs, interests and capacities. New accreditation
methodologies based on competencies foster greater clarity and ease
for transferability and recognition of credits and learning.
The accessibility of such demonstrations of learning offers many
advantages both to students and instructors, compared with
traditional forms of assessment. New challenges also arise concerning
what type of learning to assess, student support in using technology
for sophisticated demonstrations of learning, and issues of security
for exams. Not all students are as fluent and secure in their use of
technology for learning and assessment as their continuous texting
may indicate.
There are many new developments in assessment of student learning,
which are captured in a recent contribution to teachonline.ca
7. Self-Directed And Non-Formal Online Learning
While a minority of students may be fully capable of managing their
own learning and have a long history of self-directed and non-formal
learning in adult education, recent developments such as OER and
MOOCs provide many more potential students with support and
encouragement for self-directed or non-formal learning. The availability
of free open educational resources, combined with social networking
8(especially You Tube and LinkedIn learning), enables large numbers
of students to access knowledge without the necessity for meeting
institutional prior admission requirements, following a set course,
or having an instructor. Computerized marking and peer discussion
and assessment provide, in some cases, students with support and
feedback on their learning.
Opportunities for self-directed and non-formal online learning are likely
to play an increasingly important role in learning, especially in the
emerging post-COVID-19 economy.
THREE EMERGING PEDAGOGICAL TRENDS
Clearly indicated in these developments are some common factors
or trends:
1. A move to opening up learning, making it more accessible and
flexible. The classroom with information delivered through a lecture
is no longer the unique centre of learning.
2. An increased sharing of power between the instructor and the
student. This is manifest as a changing instructional role, towards
more support and negotiation over content and methods, and a
focus on developing and supporting student autonomy. On the
student side, this can mean an emphasis on students supporting
each other through new social media, peer assessment, discussion
groups, even online study groups but with guidance, support and
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
feedback from learning and content experts.
3. An increased use of technology, not only to deliver teaching, but
also to support and assist students and to provide new forms of
student assessment.
It is important to emphasize these are emerging pedagogical trends. More
experience, evaluation, and research are needed to identify those that will
have lasting value and a permanent effect on the system.
HOW THIS NEW PEDAGOGY IS TRANSFORMING TEACHING
AND LEARNING
Faculty, instructors, and teaching and learning specialists in post-
secondary institutions are rethinking pedagogy and designing resources,
programs and courses that benefit from new approaches to teaching and
learning. More than 100 selected innovations, featured in Contact North |
Contact Nord’s Pockets of Innovation Series, from over 100 post-secondary
institutions in Ontario, across Canada and around the world illustrate each
of the seven key elements outlined above. Links are provided to the full
description of each innovation.
1. Blended learning
Students at Niagara College in Ontario can enrol in iLearn, a course
focused on becoming independent technologically-literate and
effective learners. They learn in a variety of delivery modes – face-to-
9face, in a blended format and fully online to facilitate the development
of flexible skills.
At Canadore College and Durham College in Ontario, blended learning
was designed for apprenticeship programs, so students can learn and
apply their skills in their workplaces, allowing them to stay close to
home, with short and intense sessions in college labs.
The Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University in
Ontario developed a Blended Learning Initiative to encourage
more active learning, especially in first-year and large
enrolment classes. Differing designs in blended courses
in Sociology, Calculus, Classics and Psychology match content with
student needs and engagement strategies.
The School of Nursing at Lakehead University in Ontario offers blended
programs for admissions preparation, nursing degrees and post-
graduate education, serving students across northwestern Ontario and
allowing them to stay in their communities to learn.
A blended learning course on the integration of technology into
teaching at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in Canada uses
synchronous technology to encourage student interaction and to
ensure the content is always current.
At the University of Iceland, students in the Faculty of Education
choose a MOOC with content related to their program to follow as part
of their course. In their assessments, students describe the MOOC,
analyze its pedagogical structure and use of technology, and consider
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
its implication, both for them as students and prospective teachers
and for the University.
2. Collaborative approaches to the construction of knowledge/
building communities of practice
To ensure students are aware of and able to use the latest professional
software, students in a Graphics Design course at George Brown
College in Ontario work in groups to explore, assess and report on
the latest online versions to their classmates, as well as preparing
documentation for future students.
Experience at the University of Toronto in Ontario highlights the
structure, functioning and outcomes of online communities of
practice among students in a medical visualization program, end-of-
life care physicians, and a cultural competence program for health
care professionals.
In graduate degree courses in the Faculty of Education at Nipissing
University in Ontario, students share and create knowledge through
carefully assessed participation in discussion boards, as well as peer
and self-assessments.
Using synchronous learning strategies, graduate students at
the University of Ontario Institute of Technology work together to
learn share and create knowledge. The teacher provides enough
information, guidance, and structure to allow students to build their
10knowledge and skills, while, at the same time, not being the dominant
presence in class.
An online course in Aboriginal Literature at Memorial University of
Newfoundland in Canada uses Talking Circles, a foundational approach
in Aboriginal pedagogy that encourages dialogue, respect, the co-
creation of learning content, and social discourse.
The Center for Technology, Education and Cultural Diversity in Israel
offers online courses bringing together students from Jewish religious,
Jewish secular and Arab Muslim teacher education colleges, using a
pedagogical model integrating educational discussion and cooperation
to build mutual trust and respect.
The essential characteristic of an online Ed.D. program at
the University of Florida in the United States is building an academic
community of practice for learning and support throughout and even
after the program, based on the Community of Inquiry framework that
incorporates faculty, social, cognitive and learner presence.
3. Use of multimedia and open educational resources
Georgian College and Loyalist College in Ontario integrate virtual reality
and simulations in Programs, including Child and Youth Worker for
practice in dealing with difficult clients, Justice Studies with a
simulation for border security training, and clinical practice for health
care students.
At Seneca College in Ontario, social media tools are used in courses
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
in the School of Marketing, not only to share content and insights, but
also for increased student engagement, responsibility for learning, and
skills for independent and interdependent learning.
Digital Education Strategies (DES) in The G. Raymond Chang School
of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Ontario produces a
wide variety of educational resources for use in courses at Ryerson
and open to other institutions, including documentaries to generate
discussion, present multiple viewpoints, and encourage students to
take action.
An Ethics in Sports course at the University of Windsor in Ontario
involves students in debates on controversial topics in sports, followed
by very active exchanges of reflections, opinions, and comments on
Twitter. Input is often received from people outside the class who
follow the debate and discussion.
At the University of Toronto Mississauga in Ontario, the professor, a
learning technology specialist and students work together to determine
which software is most effective for the various aspects of language
learning and practice.
The Justice Institute of British Columbia in Canada created a decision-
making simulation for use in its Emergency Preparedness Program,
with participants working in small groups in real-time, with carefully
monitored activities and ongoing delivery of information.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research in France supported
11the development of eight Digital Thematic Universities, organizations
through which member institutions cooperate to develop OER. A single
portal provides access to the 34,000 OER from all digital universities
on one site.
Dublin City University in Ireland developed the Student Success
Toolbox, a suite of OER tools for adults considering attending post-
secondary education to help them through the decision stage, prepare
to begin a program, and take on the first few weeks of attendance.
4. Increased student control, choice, and independence
Support for student choice and independence is central to
delivery, support and assessment models in numerous colleges
in Ontario, including Collège Boréal, Cambrian College, Canadore
College, Confederation College, Northern College and Sault College.
Courses are offered in varying combinations of face-to-face,
synchronous and asynchronous, with online access to resources and
support, so students can choose the mode and timing that best suits
their circumstances.
In the Faculty of Education at Western University in Ontario, a graduate
course features collaborative learning, with the instructor functioning
as a co-learner. Each student researches, writes, illustrates, presents,
and self-assesses the effectiveness of an online module, as well
facilitating a productive and focused discussion.
A blended learning course in Organic Chemistry at Wilfrid Laurier
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
University in Ontario stresses the development of independent
learning, with the instructor using learning analytics on student activity
prior to each class and their formative assessments to guide the
content of the face-to-face lecture and practice sessions.
Self-study quests, based on a mobile app used in forestry and soil
science courses at the University of British Columbia in Canada,
take students into forest environments to find, classify and report on
findings based on set questions.
The University of Barcelona in Spain provides free access to non-credit
language learning online for students, faculty and staff, with support
through the Self-Access Language Centre. More than 5,000 students,
faculty and staff, completing more than 100,000 hours of study, took
advantage of this resource.
A MOOC developed at the Norwegian University of Science and
Technology offers students flexibility in learning resources, pace of
learning, contribution to online discussions, timing of assessments
– and the opportunity to register in the course for credit after the
successful completion of three of the fifteen modules.
5. Anywhere, anytime, any size learning
Algonquin College in Ontario developed an e-textbook initiative in
cooperation with major publishers with the goal of providing 100% of
students with 100% of their resources 100% of the time - all online
and accessible to mobile devices so learning is when and where the
12students choose. The online texts are enhanced with multimedia,
quizzes and other features to make learning more engaging and
available at costs significantly lower than print texts.
Confederation College in Ontario combines online courses from its
multiple campuses to expand student options, as well as offering
courses, developed at and offered through other colleges in
the OntarioLearn consortium, which were assessed for equivalency to
Confederation courses.
The University of Ottawa in Ontario offers two open source mobile
applications suitable for students and a wider public. One app, called
Nature Watch, provides tools for active monitoring and reporting
of species and other environmental change indicators. The second
supports health care workers in clinics to gather information from, and
provide care, to migrants and refugees.
To provide enhanced access for online and face-to-face students in
anatomy courses, Western University in Ontario offers a virtual slide
set, available as OER, which includes two-dimensional anatomy slides
and interactive 3D depictions of the brain. Students can interact
with these specimens as they would with the ones in the lab, with
additional capacity for magnification.
Many programs at the University of Waterloo in Ontario include
cooperative education work terms. As part of this experience,
students are required to complete online courses that stress skills,
such as team work and communication, considered by employers.
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
Lectures, theory, and best practices are provided online, while the
active learning is through practice, participation, and reflection in the
workplace.
To better serve its online students across Canada and beyond, Yorkville
University in Canada devised strategies for assessing, instructing
and communicating with their students during extended practicum
sessions in workplace settings, regardless of their location.
Assessments include lengthy reviews of videotaped interactions with
clients, shared in a secure environment.
At the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, programs
and courses are offered in multiple formats and locations to best suit
the content and the students. The designs include local programs,
learning in the field supplemented with online content, networked
programs for multi-campus delivery and fully online degree programs,
all supplemented with extensive online resources.
6. New forms of assessment
To better serve its many students on work sites in remote communities
and mining sites, Northern College in Ontario offers an e-proctoring
service that can be used for online exams and for hand-written tests
as well.
Various versions of e-portfolios are used in Ontario colleges and
universities, reflecting the content of the program and the nature of
13the student assignments: Creative Learning Portfolios in the Pilon
School of Business at Sheridan College; cuPortfolios used in multiple
settings at Carleton University; recording and assessing practice
sessions, among many other uses in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid
Laurier University; and documenting learning in Visual Arts and Built
Environment at the University of Windsor.
Peer assessment is supported through software designed at
institutions in Ontario, including peerScholar at the University of
Toronto and Peer Evaluation, Assessment and Review (PEAR) at
the University of Guelph.
Peer assessment is integrated into a graduate business diploma
program at Simon Fraser University in Canada, so small groups of
students provide marks and comments on each other’s work. The
purpose is formative, to encourage team interaction and consensus
building and to help develop skills of reflection and synthesis.
The Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Germany offers a program
to aid immigrants and refugees with IT skills in finding employment.
Online modules and coaching help develop the eight key skills outlined
by employers – such as team skills and language abilities relevant to
the IT field. Participants earn appropriate badges by demonstrating
their competencies.
7. Self-directed and non-formal online learning
Interest in exploring the potential of MOOCs to reach new students
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
in new ways at Fanshawe College in Ontario led to the development
and careful assessment of a MOOC on sustainable development. Four
levels of achievement are part of the design with a certificate awarded
for completion at each level.
SPARK (Student Papers and Academic Research Kit) at York
University in Ontario is an open source resource supporting
students in the development of research, writing, and learning skills.
Interactive modules, divided into topics such as note taking, academic
integrity and presenting arguments, offer guides, examples and
further resources.
Students at McMaster University in Ontario have access to two sets of
modules to increase their skills in information and geospatial literacy.
Each module is divided into segments, so students can focus on their
areas of greatest difficulty, using video, audio, text, and images for
learning content and quizzes to assess progress and understanding.
At Cape Breton University in Canada, a course shares the oral history
and traditional knowledge of the Mi’kmaq, a First Nation in Canada, as
presented by the knowledge keepers of Mi’kma’ki. The course could be
taken for credit and was also available as an open, free access course,
presented globally through live streaming.
The in Canada offered two MOOCs that achieved completion rates of
over 20%. Each was offered over five weeks; one on personal financial
and tax literacy and the other on play in early childhood education.
14Dual purpose MOOCs are developed and offered through the
Business School at Karlstads University in Sweden. Students can
register at the University and take MOOCs for credit or follow the
open networked courses online for a certificate of participation. As
all course materials are available under Creative Commons licensing,
they can be re-packaged and re-used, such as the use of videos in
on-campus courses.
Students are offered the possibility of learning about the ancient
writing system of Babylonian cuneiforms through a MOOC from
the Università Ca’ Foscan in Italy. The MOOC was also offered on
EduOpen, a network of 15 Italian academic institutions offering free
access to more than 60 MOOCs. Some of the MOOCs can result in
credits by paying a fee and taking an exam with the partner university.
IMPLICATIONS AND QUESTIONS
There is a groundswell of change taking place in teaching methods. As
Contact North | Contact Nord’s Pockets of Innovation Series reveals,
across Ontario, Canada and around the world, innovative applications of
technology to teaching and learning are being developed, researched,
and evaluated. The experience of remote teaching in the pandemic is also
being closely watched for examples of innovative and for failures from
which we can learn and already some insights are beginning to emerge,
especially as it relates to design.
Some questions related to your experience in adapting the new pedagogy
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
are listed below. Given your experience of teaching through a synchronous
platform (Zoom, Adobe Connect, Google Meet) and an asynchronous
platform (Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, D2L’s Brightspace), these are
intended to encourage thoughtful reflection on your practice.
Impact on Teaching and Course Design
A new pedagogy is intrinsically linked to teaching practice and strategies
for course design, delivery and assessment.
• What new factors do you take into account in your teaching and course
design and what elements of classroom practice do you maintain?
• What have you learned about student’s needs, preferences, concerns,
and success rates with online learning? What surprised you? What
delighted you?
• How are you leveraging the emerging research on how students learn
and the importance of students co-creating knowledge through project-
based and group-based learning into your learning design?
• What specific strengths and limitations for online delivery are linked
to the subject matter, which you teach or for which you prepare
resources?
• What new approaches to assessment are you looking to explore and
adopt – are these new designs focused on continuous and authentic
assessment?
15Impact on Student Learning
Student learning is the other key component of an emerging pedagogy,
with their success as the goal of all our efforts.
• What new demands are students making in terms of how they want to
be taught and assessed and what are your responses?
• What are students saying about the conditions under which they
experience online learning? Are their limits to access, use of
technology and their technological skills which impacts their learning?
• What new roles are students taking in their online or hybrid learning
and how has this changed your teaching practice?
• What new areas of student support are being built into course
structures to facilitate effective online learning and what new
strategies are developed to deliver them?
Technological Choice
Aligning pedagogy, subject matter, assessment, and student access and
success with appropriate technologies, software, and online strategies is
the ongoing challenge of online teaching and learning.
• Which technologies are you using and what strengths and challenges
do they present for online and hybrid course design delivery,
assessment, student interaction, and student support?
• What technologies do students use to undertake research, practical
work, lab work and other activities over and above the technology
A NEW PEDAGOGY IS EMERGING... AND ONLINE LEARNING IS A KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
provided by the college or university?
Technology allows us to teach differently, to meet new needs as well as old
ones. Students can also learn differently, with access to digital content,
mobile delivery, new forms of assessment, learning analytics to guide
choices and progress, and interaction and communication with peers
around the world. As outlined above, students can now take active roles in
the sharing of knowledge and shaping their own learning.
As shown in the examples above, technology helps drive innovation in
teaching and learning. But equally important are the decisions faculty and
instructors make about how best to use technology for what purposes
and how they define their roles as teacher, guide, facilitator and/or
learning participant.
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